A19-75D30127Q79331_.pdf

REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS

(THIS IS NOT AN ORDER)

THIS RFQ IS X IS NOT A SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE.

PAGE OF PAGES

1 35

1. REQUEST NO.

75D301-27-Q-79331

2. DATE ISSUED

3. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQUEST NO.

4. CERT. FOR NAT. DEF.

UNDER BDSA REG. 2

AND/OR DMS REG. 1

RATING

5a. ISSUED BY

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Chamblee Campus Building 102, MS S102-4

4770 Buford Hwy

Atlanta GA 303413717

6. DELIVERY BY (Date)

5b. FOR INFORMATION CALL (No collect calls)

NAME TELEPHONE NUMBER

AREA CODE NUMBER

Sandra Adams (770) 488-5543 x

8. TO: 9. DESTINATION

a. NAME b. COMPANY a. NAME OF CONSIGNEE

c. STREET ADDRESS b. STREET ADDRESS

c. CITY

d. CITY e. STATE f. ZIP CODE d. STATE e. ZIP CODE

10. PLEASE FURNISH QUOTATIONS TO

THE ISSUING OFFICE IN BLOCK 5a ON OR BEFORE CLOSE OF BUSINESS (Date)

IMPORTANT: This is a request for information, and quotations furnished are not offers. If you are unable to quote, please so indicate on this form and return it. This request does not commit the Government to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of the submission of this quotation or to contract for supplies or services.

Supplies are of domestic origin unless otherwise indicated by quoter. Any representations and/or certifications attached to this Request for Quotations must be completed by the quoter.

11. SCHEDULE (Include applicable Federal, State and local taxes)

ITEM NO.

(a)

SUPPLIES/SERVICES

(b)

QUANTITY

(c)

UNIT

(d)

UNIT PRICE

(e)

AMOUNT

(f)

Request for Quotation (RFQ) from the

(CDC)in support of the Office of Public Health

Data, Surveillance, and Technology (OPHDST).

Proposals due: by 10:00 am EST, on Thursday, 16

November 2026 10AM EST, Sandra Adams at ab41@cdc.gov.

12. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

a. 10 CALENDAR DAYS

b. 20 CALENDAR DAYS

c. 30 CALENDAR DAYS

d. CALENDAR DAYS

NUMBER PERCENTAGE

NOTE: Additional provisions and representations are are not attached.

13. NAME AND ADDRESS OF QUOTER 14. SIGNATURE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO

SIGN QUOTATION

15. DATE OF

QUOTATION

a. NAME OF QUOTER

b. STREET ADDRESS 16. SIGNER

a. NAME (Type or print) b. TELEPHONE

c. COUNTY AREA CODE

d. CITY e. STATE f. ZIP CODE c. TITLE (Type or print) NUMBER

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION STANDARD FORM 18 (REV. 6-95)

Previous edition not usable Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.215-1(a)

7. DELIVERY

FOB

DESTINATION

OTHER

(See Schedule)

SECTION B-CONTRACT LINE ITEMS (CLINs)

Basic Year

ITEM SUPPLIES / SERVICES QTY / UNIT UNIT PRICE EXTENDED PRICE

0001 License for American Hospital

Association

Association (AHA) Annual Survey, Healthcare IT, Financial (HICRIS)

Costs), and Supplemental Databases

Firm Fixed Price

Severable

Period of Performance:

12/6/2026-12/5/2027

1 Years

0002 Training and Technical Support

Consultation

1 Years

0003 AHA DataQuery AI Tool (OPTIONAL)

Option Year 1:

1001 License for American Hospital

Association

License for American Hospital

Association (AHA) Annual Survey, 12/6/2027-12/5/2028

1002 Training and Technical Support /

1003 AHA DataQuery AI Tool (OPTIONAL)

Option Year 2:

2001 License for American Hospital

Association (AHA)

Annual Survey, Healthcare IT, Financial

(HICRIS) Costs), and Supplemental

Databases

12/6/2028-12/5/2029

1 Years

2002 Training and Technical Support /

2003 AHA DataQuery AI Tool (OPTIONAL)

Option Year 3:

3001 License for American Hospital Association

License for American Hospital Association

(AHA) Annual Survey, Healthcare IT, Financial (HICRIS) Costs), and

Supplemental Databases

12/6/2029-12/5/2030

1 Years

3002 Training and Technical Support

Training and Technical Support /

3003 AHA DataQuery AI Tool (OPTIONAL)

Option Year 4:

4001 License for American Hospital

Association

License for American Hospital

Association (AHA) Annual Survey, 12/6/2030-12/5/2031

4002 Training and Technical Support

Training and Technical Support /

4003 AHA DataQuery AI Tool (OPTIONAL)

SECTION C: CONTRACT DOCUMENTS, STATEMENT OF WORK

Title: License to Access the American Hospital Association Inc.’s (AHA) Proprietary Databases, Training, and Technical Support

Period of performance of this contract is: 12/6/2026 to 12/5/2031

Base Period:12/6/2026 to 12/5/2027

Option Period One: 12/6/2027 to 12/5/2028

Option Period Two: 12/6/2028 to 12/5/2029

Option Period Three: 12/6/2029 to 12/5/2030

Option Period Four: 12/6/2030 to 12/5/2031

SECTION 1 – BACKGROUND

The American Hospital Association, Inc. (AHA) conducts surveys with hospitals. The main survey is the Annual Survey that profiles a universe of 6,200+ hospitals and 400 health care systems throughout the United States.

Comprising over 1,300+ hospital data points gathered directly from the source, the AHA Annual

Survey Database (ASDB) offers facility-level insights on different topics including organizational structure and affiliations; beds and utilization; staffing with physicians included;

expenses; accreditations and approval codes; and telehealth and remote patient monitoring. The survey has a high response rate (at least 75%) and AHA undertakes quality assurance measures on the data. The Healthcare IT Database is another AHA survey that provides information on several healthcare IT indicators that illustrate the depth and level of technology integration within hospitals. The database contains hospital level information on over 2,600 hospitals. This

IT survey is the most reliable source of hospital IT implementation information available and is used as a foundation for national research and government studies, including national EHR adoption rates. The Healthcare IT Database includes topics such as the adoption level of computerized systems for electronic clinical documentation: physician and nurse notes, medication lists, etc.; results viewing: lab and radiology reports, radiology images, etc.; decision support: drug alerts, clinical reminders, etc.; barcoding: patient ID, lab specimens, pharmaceutical tracking, etc.; EHR interoperability capabilities; and primary inpatient and outpatient vendors used for the EHR/EMR systems, and details on anticipated changes.

Additional surveys and databases are also available. There is also the financial module data, a third-party database developed by AHA largely as a service/support element for clients of the

AHA ASDB. It offers nearly 200 data points in several categories, including the following:

general information, financial reports, revenues and expense, utilization, and other financial details. The AHA survey data are the only available data source solely focused on hospital and health system characteristics.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has licensed the AHA databases since

2017. Continued access to and analysis of AHA survey data are essential to fulfilling CDC’s public health mission. They provide CDC with the core sampling frame for major national surveillance systems and surveys, including the National Blood Collection and Utilization

Survey (NBCUS) and the Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) survey.

They ensure accurate identification of eligible facilities, support representative sampling, and allow for reliable tracking of hospital participation, openings, closures, and service changes.

The AHA data also enable the production of robust national estimates of hospitalizations, patient days, and healthcare utilization. They are routinely used to develop statistical weights, validate findings, and cross-check other datasets such as CDC’s National Healthcare Safety

Network (NHSN), claims databases, and discharge data.

Across numerous CDC programs, AHA data support critical public health priorities by informing analyses of healthcare access, quality, and outcomes. They are used by CDC to:

• Assess healthcare system capacity and resilience

• Monitor access to essential services, including maternal and reproductive healthcare

• Evaluate patient safety and healthcare-associated infections (HAIs)

• Track antimicrobial resistance and emerging threats

• Identify availability of specialized care, such as cardiovascular and stroke services

Additionally, AHA data strengthen CDC surveillance systems such as the National

Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP), by providing important context on the U.S.

healthcare landscape, facilitating coverage assessments, and enabling dataset linkages (e.g., to NHSN) that enhance understanding of healthcare delivery and outcomes.

AHA data are also vital for Million Hearts®, a national initiative launched in 2011 that is co-led by the CDC and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with CDC leadership provided by the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (DHDSP).

Specifically, AHA data are used for analysis of hospital variation in cardiac rehabilitation

(CR) enrollment in the United States. Utilizing Medicare claims and AHA data, hospital-level

CR use metrics can be generated for over 2,000 hospitals nationwide serving patients with cardiac events. Hospital-level reports are generated, and the results are presented so that hospitals can see how they are performing relative to peer hospitals in their state and nationally. These reports have great potential to help drive improvement in CR participation, as well as optimize patient care to improve outcomes for individuals recovering from a cardiac event. The distribution of these reports to enhance quality improvement in CR supports DHDSP’s strategic objectives to promote participation in evidence-based lifestyle programs and enhance systems of care for stroke and heart disease.

SECTION 2 – PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this acquisition is for CDC to purchase a license for the AHA proprietary databases, receive up-to-date versions of the databases, obtain associated training and technical support, and, if needed, obtain access to AI-based data analysis tools. Specifically, CDC requires a license and access to the following databases: Annual Survey, Healthcare IT

Survey, Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS), and two supplemental files -

Hospital Universe and Hospital Subsidiary. CDC requires training and technical support to enhance staff’s knowledge and use of the databases. In addition, AI-based data analysis tools can enhance and expedite CDC’s analysis of the AHA data (Optional Task).

CDC requires continuity of access to AHA databases to fulfill CDC’s public health mission by assessing the impact of hospital characteristics (or hospital network characteristics) on health outcomes such as healthcare associated infections, enhancing existing CDC surveillance systems, and supporting the Million Hearts® initiative between CDC and CMS.

SECTION 3 – SCOPE OF WORK

The Government needs a license to access the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) proprietary databases, including the Annual Survey Database, Healthcare IT Survey Database, HCRIS database, and supplemental Hospital Universe and Hospital Subsidiary files. The databases shall be delivered to the CDC through a secured data transmission channel approved by the Government as soon as they are available – the Annual Survey Database is released annually, typically during November-December; HCRIS database is released annually, typically during January-March; the Healthcare IT Survey database is released annually, typically during April-June; supplemental Hospital Universe and Hospital Subsidiaries files are released monthly. With each data delivery, the Government needs a Documentation Book that includes a data dictionary and statistical metadata; the Documentation Book for the

Annual Survey Database shall include a Summary of Changes that identifies open, closed, and merged hospitals compared to the prior year.

Government personnel need training and technical support on the various databases licensed from AHA. Thetraining will be exclusively developed for CDC staff who have used or are considering using AHA databases and will include general information on the survey methodology used by the American Hospital Association. Hands-on sessions will be also provided to ensure full understanding and usability of the AHA survey databases. Training will be held in base year, and each option year, if exercised. Technical support will be available as needed and upon request.

Government personnel may request access to the AHA DataQuery AI™ platform that enables users to interact with AHA datasets using natural language queries. The platform allows users to search hospital and health system data, generate visualizations and reports, refine questions conversationally, and download underlying data and SQL queries. The platform is designed to expedite analysis of AHA databases using generative AI capabilities.

SECTION 4 – TASKS TO BE PERFORMED

The following tasks will be performed in the base year and each option year, if exercised:

1. Provide CDC with a license agreement for the following AHA proprietary databases:

AHA Annual Survey Database, Healthcare IT Survey database, HCRIS database, and supplemental Hospital Universe and Hospital Subsidiary files.

2. Deliver updated AHA databases (listed in Task 1) to CDC as soon as they become available, via government-approved secured data transmission, on an annual or monthly basis, along with a documentation book.

3. Provide CDC with technical support as needed.

4. Provide CDC with monthly scheduled conference calls.

5. Provide CDC with eight (8) hours of online, virtual training via Microsoft

Teams. Training can be conducted over two (2) days.

6. Provide up to 60 CDC staff with access to the AHA DataQuery AI platform

(OPTIONAL)

SECTION 5 – GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY

No government property/materials shall be provided.

SECTION 6 – PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

All work shall be conducted at contractor’s worksite/facility.

SECTION 7 – TRAVEL

There is no travel required nor is any travel authorized.

SECTION 8 – DELIVERABLES/REPORTING SCHEDULE

Description

Quantity or No. of

Copies

Delivery Date Deliver To

License Agreement for

AHA Annual Survey database, Healthcare IT

Survey database, HCRIS database, and supplemental

Hospital Universe and

Hospital Subsidiary files

One (1) Within 1 Week After

Performance Period

Begins

Data Management

Team and Contracting

Officers’ Representative

(COR)

AHA Annual Survey database and documentation book

One (1) As soon as available, typically within 1 week after performance period begins

Data Management

Team and Contracting

Officers’ Representative

(COR)

HCRIS database and documentation book One (1) As soon as available, typically in January-

March

Data Management

Team and Contracting

Officers’ Representative

(COR)

Supplemental Hospital

Universe and Hospital

Subsidiary files and documentation book

Twelve (12) each Monthly throughout the period of performance Data Management

Team and Contracting

Officers’ Representative

(COR)

Technical Support As needed throughout the period of performance Contracting Officers’

Representative (COR) Monthly Conference Call Twelve (12) each Once a month at a mutually agreed upon date and time.

Contracting Officers’

Representative (COR)

Online / Virtual Training Eight (8) hours of training At mutually agreed upon date(s) and time(s) within 90 days of contract award.

Contracting Officers’

Representative (COR)

Access to AHA DataQuery

AI platform (OPTIONAL) Access for up to 60 CDC staff

Within 15 days of contract award and throughout the period of performance

Contracting

Officers’ Representative

(COR)

SUBSECTION A – QUALITY ASSURANCE PERFORMANCE PLAN (QASP)

Work Requirement /

Performance Standard

Acceptable Quality

Level Surveillance

Method

Incentive for Meeting Performance Standard

Provision of data in format and within delivery schedule

Deliverables provided in accordance with contract requirements, of an acceptable quality with 90% compliance within each contract period.

Surveillance by

Assigned CDC

Contracting Officer’s

Representative (COR)

• Contractor’s performance is documented as past performance using CPARS which is considered for future awards.

• Performance is considered in determining whether to exercise the option periods.

SECTION 9 – REFERENCE MATERIALS

There are no related reference materials for this requisition.

SECTION 10 – MINIMUM VENDOR QUALIFICATIONS AND SPECIAL

REQUIREMENTS

The vendor must possess an exclusive licensing agreement and proprietary data of AHA survey databases, including the AHA Annual Survey, AHA Healthcare IT, AHA Financial (HICRIS

Cost Reports), and most current AHA FY Financial database.

The Deliverables include applicable commercial technical data and/or computer databases and/or commercial computer software and/or commercial computer software documentation developed exclusively at private expense by the American Hospital Association, 155 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 400, Chicago, Illinois 60606. U.S. Government rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose the applicable technical data and/or computer data bases and/or computer software and/or computer software documentation are subject to the limited rights restrictions of FAR 52.227-14 (December 2007) and FAR 52.227-19 (December 2007), and any other applicable agency FAR Supplements, for non-Department of Defense Federal procurements.

SECTION 11 – ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Information Security and Privacy

A. Baseline Security Requirements

1) Applicability. The requirements herein apply whether the entire contract or order (hereafter

“contract”), or portion thereof, includes either or both of the following:

a. Access (Physical or Logical) to Government Information: A Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employee will have or will be given the ability to have, routine physical (entry) or logical (electronic) access to government information.

b. Operate a Federal System Containing Information: A Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employee will operate a federal system and information technology containing data that supports the HHS mission. In addition to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 2.1 definition of “information technology” (IT), the term as used in this section includes computers, ancillary equipment (including imaging peripherals, input, output, and storage devices necessary for security and surveillance), peripheral equipment designed to be controlled by the central performance (COR) processing unit of a computer, software, firmware and similar procedures, services

(including support services), and related resources.

2) Safeguarding Information and Information Systems. In accordance with the Federal

Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS)199, Standards for Security Categorization of Federal Information and Information Systems, the Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall:

a. Protect government information and information systems in order to ensure:

• Confidentiality, which means preserving authorized restrictions on access and disclosure, based on the security terms found in this contract, including means for protecting personal privacy and proprietary information;

• Integrity, which means guarding against improper information modification or destruction, and ensuring information non-repudiation and authenticity; and

• Availability, which means ensuring timely and reliable access to and use of information.

b. Provide security for any Contractor systems, and information contained therein, connected to an HHS network or operated by the Contractor on behalf of HHS regardless of location. In addition, if new or unanticipated threats or hazards are discovered by either the agency or

Contractor, or if existing safeguards have ceased to function, the discoverer shall immediately, within one (1) hour or less after it is determined that a threat or hazard exists, bring the situation to the attention of the other party.

c. Adopt and implement the policies, procedures, controls, and standards required by the HHS

Information SecurityProgram to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of government information and government information systems for which the Contractor is responsible under this contract or to which the Contractor may otherwise have access under this contract. Obtain the HHS Information Security Program security requirements, outlined in the HHS Information Security and Privacy Policy (IS2P), by contacting the CO/COR or emailing fisma@hhs.gov.

d. Comply with the Privacy Act requirements and tailor FAR clauses as needed.

3) Information Security Categorization. In accordance with FIPS 199 and National Institute of

Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-60, Volume II: Appendices to

Guide for Mapping Types of Information and Information Systems to Security Categories, Appendix C, and based on information provided by the ISSO, CISO, or other security representative, the risk level for each Security Objective and the Overall Risk Level, which is the highest watermark of the three factors (Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability) of the information or information system are the following:

Confidentiality (Low, Moderate, High)

Integrity (Low, oderate, High)

Availability (Low, Moderate, High)

Security Objectives Impact

Level: (NIST SP 800-60) Low Low Low Security Objectives Impact Level: (If System/Information Owner need to downgraded / upgraded risk)

Overall Impact Level (Low, Moderate, High) Low Low Low

Based on information provided by the ISSO, Privacy Office, system/data owner, or other security or privacy representative, it has been determined that this solicitation/contract involves:

[X] No PII [ ] Yes PII

4) Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Per the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) Circular A-130, “PII is information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual's identity, either alone or when combined with other information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual.” Examples of PII include, but are not limited to the following: social security number, date and place of birth, mother‘s maiden name, biometric records, etc. PII Confidentiality Impact Level has been determined to be:

N/A [ ] Low [ ] Moderate [ ] High

5) Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). CUI is defined as “information that laws, regulations, or Government-wide policies require to have safeguarding or dissemination controls, excluding classified information.” The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) must comply with Executive Order 13556, Controlled Unclassified Information, (implemented at 32

CFR, part 2002) when handling CUI. 32 C.F.R. 2002.4(aa) As implemented the term

“handling” refers to “…any use of CUI, including but not limited to marking, safeguarding, transporting, disseminating, re-using, and disposing of the information.” 81 Fed. Reg. 63323.

All sensitive information that has been identified as CUI by a regulation or statute, handled by this solicitation/contract, shall be:

a. marked appropriately;

b. disclosed to authorized personnel on a Need-To-Know basis;

c. protected in accordance with NIST SP 800-53, Security and Privacy Controls for Federal

Information Systems and Organizations applicable baseline if handled by a Contractor system operated on behalf of the agency, or NIST SP 800-171, Protecting Controlled

Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Information Systems and Organizations if handled by internal Contractor system; and returned to HHS control, destroyed when no longer needed, or held until otherwise directed. Destruction of information and/or data shall be accomplished in accordance with NIST SP 800-88, Guidelines for Media Sanitization.

6) Protection of Sensitive Information. For security purposes, information is or may be sensitive because it requires security to protect its confidentiality, integrity, and/or availability.

The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall protect all government information that is or may be sensitive in accordance with OMB Memorandum M-06-16, Protection of Sensitive

Agency Information by securing it with a FIPS 140-2 validated solution.

7) Confidentiality and Nondisclosure of Information. Any information provided to the

Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) by HHS or collected by the Contractor on behalf of

HHS shall be used only for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this contract and shall not be disclosed or made known in any manner to any persons except as may be necessary in the performance of the contract. The Contractor assumes responsibility for protection of the confidentiality of Government records and shall ensure that all work performed by its employees and subcontractors shall be under the supervision of the Contractor. Each

Contractor employee or any of its subcontractors to whom any HHS records may be made available or disclosed shall be notified in writing by the Contractor that information disclosed to such employee or subcontractor can be used only for that purpose and to the extent authorized herein.

The confidentiality, integrity, and availability of such information shall be protected in accordance with HHS and [CDC] policies. Unauthorized disclosure of information will be subject to the HHS/[CDC] sanction policies and/or governed by the following laws and regulations:

a) 18 U.S.C. 641 (Criminal Code: Public Money, Property or Records);

b) 18 U.S.C. 1905 (Criminal Code: Disclosure of Confidential Information);

and

c) 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, Subchapter I (Paperwork Reduction Act).

8) Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6). All procurements using Internet Protocol shall comply with OMB Memorandum M-05-22, Transition Planning for Internet Protocol Version 6

(IPv6).

9) Government Websites. All new and existing public-facing government websites must be securely configured with Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) using the most recent version of Transport Layer Security (TLS). In addition, HTTPS shall enable HTTP Strict

Transport Security (HSTS) to instruct compliant browsers to assume HTTPS at all times to reduce the number of insecure redirects and protect against attacks that attempt to downgrade connections to plain HTTP. For internal-facing websites, the HTTPS is not required, but it is highly recommended.

10) Contract Documentation. The Contractor shall use provided templates, policies, forms, and other agency documents to comply with contract deliverables as appropriate.

11) Standard for Encryption. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall:

a. Comply with the HHS Standard for Encryption of Computing Devices and Information to prevent unauthorized access to government information.

b. Encrypt all sensitive federal data and information (i.e., PII, protected health information

[PHI], proprietary information, etc.) in transit (i.e., email, network connections, etc.)

and at rest (i.e., servers, storage devices, mobile devices, backup media, etc.) with FIPS

140-2 validated encryption solution.

c. Secure all devices (i.e.: desktops, laptops, mobile devices, etc.) that store and process government information and ensure devices meet HHS and CDC-specific encryption standard requirements. Maintain a complete and current inventory of all laptop computers, desktop computers, and other mobile devices and portable media that store or process sensitive government information (including PII).

d. Verify that the encryption solutions in use have been validated under the Cryptographic

Module Validation Program to confirm compliance with FIPS 140-2. The Contractor shall provide a written copy of the validation documentation to the COR.

e. Use the Key Management system on the HHS personal identification verification (PIV) card or establish and use a key recovery mechanism to ensure the ability for authorized personnel to encrypt/decrypt information and recover encryption keys. Encryption keys shall be provided to CDC Office of Chief Information Security Officer (OCISO).

12) Contractor Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Each Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employee having access to non-public government information under this contract shall complete the CDC non-disclosure agreement, as applicable. A copy of each signed and witnessed NDA shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer (CO) and/or CO

Representative (COR) prior to performing any work under this acquisition.

13) Privacy Threshold Analysis (PTA)/Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) – The Contractor shall assist the CDC Senior Official for Privacy (SOP) or designee with conducting a

PTA for the information system and/or information handled under this contract in accordance with HHS policy and OMB M-03-22, Guidance for Implementing the Privacy

Provisions of the E-Government Act of 2002.

a. The Contractor shall assist the CDC SOP or designee in reviewing the PIA at least every three years throughout the system development lifecycle (SDLC)/information lifecycle, or when determined by the CDC SOP that a review is required based on a major change to the system (e.g., new uses of information collected, changes to the way information is shared or disclosed and for what purpose, or when new types of PII are collected that could introduce new or increased privacy risks), whichever comes first.

B. Training

1) Mandatory Training for All Contractor Staff. All Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employees assigned to work on this contract shall complete the applicable HHS/CDC

Contractor Information Security Awareness, Privacy, and Records Management training

(provided upon contract award) before performing any work under this contract. Thereafter, the employees shall complete CDC Security Awareness Training (SAT), Privacy, and

Records Management training at least annually, during the life of this contract. All provided training shall be compliant with HHS training policies.

2) Role-based Training. All Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employees with significant security responsibilities (as determined by the program manager) must complete role-based training (RBT) within 60 days of assuming their new responsibilities. Thereafter, they shall complete RBT at least annually in accordance with HHS policy and the HHS Role-Based

Training (RBT) of Personnel with Significant Security Responsibilities Memorandum.

All HHS employees and Contractors with SSR who have not completed the required training within the mandated timeframes shall have their user accounts disabled until they have met their RBT requirement.

3) Training Records. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall maintain training records for all its employees working under this contract in accordance with HHS policy. A copy of the training records shall be provided to the CO and/or COR within 30 days after contract award and annually thereafter or upon request.

C. Rules of Behavior

1) The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall ensure that all employees performing on the contract comply with the HHS Information Technology General Rules of Behavior.

2) All Contractor employees performing on the contract must read and adhere to the Rules of

Behavior before accessing Department data or other information, systems, and/or networks that store/process government information, initially at the beginning of the contract and at least annually thereafter, which may be done as part of annual CDC Security Awareness

Training. If the training is provided by the Contractor, the signed ROB must be provided as a separate deliverable to the CO and/or COR per defined timelines above.

D. Incident Response

FISMA defines an incident as “an occurrence that (1) actually or imminently jeopardizes, without lawful authority, the integrity, confidentiality, or availability of information or an information system; or (2) constitutes a violation or imminent threat of violation of law, security policies, security procedures, or acceptable use policies. The HHS Policy for IT

Security and Privacy Incident Reporting and Response further defines incidents as events involving cybersecurity and privacy threats, such as viruses, malicious user activity, loss of, unauthorized disclosure or destruction of data, and so on.

3) A privacy breach is a type of incident and is defined by Federal Information Security

Modernization Act (FISMA) as the loss of control, compromise, unauthorized disclosure, unauthorized acquisition, or any similar occurrence where (1) a person other than an authorized user accesses or potentially accesses personally identifiable information or (2) an authorized user accesses or potentially accesses personally identifiable information for an

“other than” authorized purpose.

OMB Memorandum M-17-12, “Preparing for and Responding to a Breach of Personally

Identifiable Information” (03 January 2017) states:

Definition of an Incident:

An occurrence that (1) actually or imminently jeopardizes, without lawful authority, the integrity, confidentiality, or availability of information or an information system; or (2) constitutes a violation or imminent threat of violation of law, security policies, security procedures, or acceptable use policies.

Definition of a Breach:

The loss of control, compromise, unauthorized disclosure, unauthorized acquisition, or any similar occurrence where

(1) a person other than an authorized user accesses or potentially accesses personally identifiable information or (2) an authorized user accesses or potentially accesses personally identifiable information for an other than authorized purpose.

It further adds:

A breach is not limited to an occurrence where a person other than an authorized user potentially accesses PII by means of a network intrusion, a targeted attack that exploits website vulnerabilities, or an attack executed through an email message or attachment. A breach may also include the loss or theft of physical documents that include PII and portable electronic storage media that store PII, the inadvertent disclosure of PII on a public website, or an oral disclosure of PII to a person who is not authorized to receive that information. It may also include an authorized user accessing PII for an other than authorized purpose.

The HHS Policy for IT Security and Privacy Incident Reporting and Response further defines a breach as “a” suspected or confirmed incident involving PII”.

Contracts with entities that collect, maintain, use, or operate Federal information or information systems on behalf of CDC shall include the following requirements:

1) The Contractor shall cooperate with and exchange information with CDC officials, as deemed necessary by the CDC Breach Response Team, to report and manage a suspected or confirmed breach.

2) All Contractors and subcontractors shall properly encrypt PII in accordance with OMB

Circular A-130 and other applicable policies, including CDC-specific policies, and comply with HHS-specific policies for protecting PII. To this end, all Contractors and subcontractors shall protect all sensitive information, including any PII created, stored, or transmitted in the performance of this contract so as to avoid a secondary sensitive information incident with

FIPS 140-2 validated encryption.

3) All Contractors and subcontractors shall participate in regular training on how to identify and report a breach.

4) All Contractors and subcontractors shall report a confirmed breach in any medium as soon as possible and no later than 1 hour after it is determined that a breach occurred, consistent with applicable CDC IT acquisitions guidance, HHS/CDC and incident management policy, and United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) notification guidelines.

To this end, the Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall respond to all alerts/Indicators of

Compromise (IOCs) provided by HHS Computer Security Incident Response Center

(CSIRC) or CDC Computer Incident Response Team (CSIRT) within 24 hours via email at csirt@cdc.gov or telephone at 866-655-2245, whether the response is positive or negative.

5) All Contractors and subcontractors shall be able to determine what Federal information was or could have been accessed and by whom, construct a timeline of user activity, determine methods and techniques used to access Federal information, and identify the initial attack vector.

6) All Contractors and subcontractors shall allow for an inspection, investigation, forensic analysis, and any other action necessary to ensure compliance with HHS/CDC Policy and the HHS/CDC Breach

Response Plan and to assist with responding to a breach.

7) Cloud service providers shall use guidance provided in the FedRAMP Incident

Communications Procedures when deciding when to report directly to US-CERT first or notify CDC first.

8) Identify roles and responsibilities, in accordance with HHS/CDC Breach Response Policy and the HHS/CDC Breach Response Plan. To this end, the Contractor shall NOT notify affected individuals unless and until so instructed by the Contracting Officer or designated representative. If so, instructed by the Contracting Officer or representative, all notifications must be pre-approved by the appropriate CDC officials, consistent with HHS/CDC

Breach Response Plan, and the Contractor shall then send CDC- approved notifications to affected individuals; and,

9) Acknowledge that CDC will not interpret report of a breach, by itself, as conclusive evidence that the Contractor or its subcontractor failed to provide adequate safeguards for

PII.

E. Position Sensitivity Designations

The ISSO in coordination with the requiring activity representative and Personnel Security

Offices, determine the applicable position designations using OPM’s Position Sensitivity

Designation Automated Tool (https://www.opm. gov/investigations/). The following are position sensitivity levels that may apply to this solicitation/contract:

Investigation Position Requirement

NACI National Agency Check

Tier 1 Low-Risk Non-Sensitive, including HSPD-12 Credentialing Tier 2 (with subject interview) Moderate-Risk Public Trust (MRPT)

Tier 3 Non-Critical Sensitive, National Security, including Secret and “L” access eligibility Tier 4 High-Risk Public Trust

Tier 5 Critical Sensitive and Special Sensitive, National Security, including

Top Secret, SCI, and “Q” access eligibility

Not Applicable No requirement

X

F. Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-12

The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) and its employees shall comply with Homeland

Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-12, Policy for a Common Identification Standard for

Federal Employees and Contractors; OMB M-05-24; FIPS 201, Personal Identity Verification

(PIV) of Federal Employees and Contractors; HHS HSPD-12 policy; and Executive Order

13467, Part 1 §1.2. For additional information, see HSPD-12 policy at:

https://www.dhs.gov/homeland-security-presidential-directive-12) Roster. The Contractor

(and/or any subcontractor) shall submit a roster by name, position, e-mail address, phone number and responsibility of all staff working under this acquisition where the Contractor will develop, have the ability to access, or host and/or maintain a government information system(s). The roster shall be submitted to the COR and/or CO by the effective date of this contract. Any revisions to the roster as a result of staffing changes shall be submitted immediately upon change. The COR will notify the Contractor of the appropriate level of investigation required for each staff member.

If the employee is filling a new position, the Contractor shall provide a position description and the Government will determine the appropriate suitability level.

G. Contract Initiation and Expiration

1) General Security Requirements. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall comply with information security and privacy requirements, Enterprise Performance Life Cycle (EPLC) processes, HHS Enterprise Architecture requirements to ensure information is appropriately protected from initiation to expiration of the contract. All information systems development or enhancement tasks supported by the Contractor shall follow the HHS EPLC framework and methodology and in accordance with the HHS Contract Closeout Guide (2012).

2) System Documentation. Contractors (and/or any subcontractors) must follow and adhere to

NIST SP 800-64, Security Considerations in the System Development Life Cycle, at a minimum, for system development and provide system documentation at designated intervals (specifically, at the expiration of the contract) within the EPLC that require artifact review and approval.

3) Sanitization of Government Files and Information. As part of contract closeout and at expiration of the contract, the Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall provide all required documentation to the CO and/or COR to certify that, at the government’s direction, all electronic and paper records are appropriately disposed of and all devices and media are sanitized in accordance with NIST SP 800-88, Guidelines for Media Sanitization.

4) Notification. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall notify the CO and/or COR and system ISSO before an employee stops working under this contract.

5) Contractor Responsibilities Upon Physical Completion of the Contract. The Contractor

(and/or any subcontractors) shall return all government information and IT resources (i.e., government information in nongovernment- owned systems, media, and backup systems) acquired during the term of this contract to the CO and/or COR. Additionally, the Contractor shall provide a certification that all government information has been properly sanitized and purged from Contractor-owned systems, including backup systems and media used during contract performance, in accordance with HHS and/or CDC policies.

6) The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall perform and document the actions identified in the CDC Out- Processing Checklist

(http://intranet.cdc.gov/od/hcrmo/pdfs/hr/Out_Processing_Checklist.pdf) when an employee terminates work under this contract. All documentation shall be made available to the CO and/or

COR upon request.

H. Records Management and Retention

The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall maintain all information in accordance with

Executive Order 13556 -- Controlled Unclassified Information, National Archives and Records

Administration (NARA) records retention policies and schedules and HHS policies and shall not dispose of any records unless authorized by HHS. In the event that a Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) accidentally disposes of or destroys a record without proper authorization, it shall be documented and reported as an incident in accordance with HHS policies.

Human Subjects Protections in Research

N/A

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)

N/A

Section 508 Compliance

Part A – Provision

352.239-78 Information and Communication Technology Accessibility Notice. (Deviation)

As prescribed in 339.203-70(a), insert the following provision:

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY

NOTICE (FEB 2024) (DEVIATION)

(a) Any offeror responding to this solicitation must comply with established HHS

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) accessibility standards. Information about

Section 508 is available at https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/index.html.

(b) The Section 508 accessibility standards applicable to this solicitation are stated in the clause at 352.239-79 Information and Communication Technology Accessibility. In order to facilitate the Government’s determination whether proposed ICT supplies, products, platforms, information, and documentation meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, offerors must submit an appropriate HHS Section 508 Accessibility Conformance Checklist (see https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/accessibility-checklists/index.html) or an Accessibility

Conformance Report (ACR) (based on the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) see https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat), in accordance with the completion instructions. The purpose of the checklists and conformance reports are to assist HHS acquisition and program officials in determining whether proposed ICT supplies, products, platforms, information, and documentation conform to applicable Section 508 accessibility standards.

Checklists and ACRs evaluate—in detail—whether the ICT conforms to specific Section 508 accessibility standards and identifies remediation efforts needed to address conformance issues.

(c) If an offeror claims its supplies or services meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, and it is later determined by the Government, i.e., after award of a contract or order, that supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support delivered do not conform to the described accessibility standards, remediation of the supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its expense.

(d) In order to facilitate the Government's determination whether proposed ICT supplies meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, offerors must submit an Accessibility

Conformance Report, in accordance with its completion instructions and tailored to the requirements in the solicitation. The purpose of the Report is to assist HHS acquisition and program officials in determining whether proposed ICT supplies conform to applicable Section

508 accessibility standards. The template allows offerors or developers to self-evaluate their supplies and document, in detail, whether they conform to a specific Section 508 accessibility standard, and any underway remediation efforts addressing conformance issues. Instructions for preparing the HHS Section 508 Evaluation Template are available at https://Section508.gov/.

(e) In order to facilitate the Government's determination whether proposed ICT services meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, offerors must provide enough information to assist the Government in determining that the ICT services conform to Section 508 accessibility standards, including any underway remediation efforts addressing conformance issues.

(f) Respondents to this solicitation must identify any inability to conform to Section 508 requirements. If an offeror claims its supplies or services meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, and it is later determined by the Government, i.e., after award of a contract or order, that supplies or services delivered do not conform to the described accessibility standards, remediation of the supplies or services to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its expense.

(g) Items delivered as electronic content must be accessible to HHS acceptance criteria.

Checklist for various formats are available at http://508.hhs.gov/. Materials, other than items incidental to contract management, that are final items for delivery should be accompanied by the appropriate checklist, except upon approval of the Contracting Officer or Contracting

Officer’s Representative.

(End of provision)

352.239-79 Information and Communication Technology Accessibility. (Deviation)

As prescribed in 339.203-70(b), insert the following clause:

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY (FEB 2024)

(DEVIATION)

(a) Pursuant to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended by the

Workforce Investment Act of 1998, all information and communication technology (ICT) supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, and services support developed, acquired, maintained or delivered under this contract or order must comply with the Revised 508 Standards, which are located at 36 C.F.R. 1194.1 and

Appendices A, B, and C, and are available at https://www.access-board.gov/ict/. Information about Section 508 is available at https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/index.html.

(b) Additional Section 508 accessibility standards applicable to this contract or order may be identified in the specification, statement of work, or performance work statement. If it is determined by the Government that ICT supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, and services support provided by the Contractor do not conform to the described accessibility standards in the contract, remediation of the supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its own expense.

(c) In the event of a modification(s) to this contract or order, which adds new ICT supplies or services or revises the type of, or specifications for, supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support, the Contracting Officer shall require that the Contractor submit a completed HHS Section 508 Accessibility

Conformance Checklist (see https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/accessibility-checklists/index.html) or an

Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) (based on the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) see https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat), and any other additional information necessary to assist the

Government in determining that the ICT supplies or services conform to Section 508 accessibility standards. If it is determined by the Government that ICT supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, and services support provided by the Contractor do not conform to the described accessibility standards in the contract, remediation of the supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its own expense.

(d) If this is an Indefinite-Delivery type contract, a Blanket Purchase Agreement or a Basic Ordering

Agreement, the task/delivery order requests that include ICT supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support will define the specifications and accessibility standards for the order. In those cases, the Contractor shall be required to provide a completed HHS Section 508 Accessibility Conformance

Checklist (see https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/accessibility-checklists/index.html) or an ACR (based on the

VPAT see https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat), and any other additional information necessary to assist the Government in determining that the ICT supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support conform to Section 508 accessibility standards.